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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Grab a Bowl - 10 of my Favorite Uses for Rice Bowls

Some of my rice bowl collection

While growing up, my mother would often include a small bowl of rice with dinner. There was a generous stack of porcelain rice bowls with random patterns in the cupboard: it was a beautiful sight. We used those bowls for more than just rice. “Just grab a rice bowl! ” was often heard in our hive of six.

Before I moved out, my mom bought me my own set of four rice bowls. Over the last five years I have added to this collection. I now own eighteen (I think) and they are never all in the cupboard at the same time because I use them so much.

Prep Bowls - They are the perfect size to hold chopped veggies, and herbs. Measure out spices into a rice bowl before you add them to the big pot so there are no accidents. Its happened to all of us at one time or another, right? The salt pours out too quickly from the box or the little spice jar cover with the holes pops off and goes into the soup along with all of the jar’s contents.

Decorating Cookies or Cakes - Pour out your sprinkles and mini sized candies into these to create easy access and visibility. To get a variation of coloured icing to choose from; separate a batch of white icing into the bowls then add food colouring and mix in.

Dying Easter Eggs - These bowls are the perfect size to hold just enough liquid to immerse a chicken egg.

Defrosting Baby Food - About an hour before baby’s meal sit the bowls in the sink with hot water to defrost homemade purees. Because the rice bowls are small and ceramic, they transfer the heat from the water to the food quickly.

Portion Control - Tempted to sit on the couch with a bag of chips, chocolate covered almonds or a tub of ice cream (or all three)? Dish your treats out into rice bowls in the kitchen, then sit down.

Night Stand Duty - Some rice bowls are very pretty too and could make a great companion on your nightstand to hold your jewelery while you sleep.

Manicure Soak - After removing old polish and filing your nails, soften up your cuticles. Fill a rice bowl with warm water. Scent it with a few drops of your favorite essential oils and a teaspoon of grape seed oil or olive oil. Soak your digits for 5-10 minutes.

Crafting - There are bound to be bits whatever you are into. Use rice bowls to keep your bits in or from rolling away from you.

Snowflakes - One of my family’s favourite Christmas traditions was to cut out paper snowflakes. We would start every snowflake by tracing a perfect circle with a pencil around a rice bowl. The size of these snowflakes are big enough to get detailed with your designs but small enough that we could put a whole bunch on one window without it looking to crowded.

I feel like my home really wouldn't really be complete without one or two rice bowls around.